Scale remover



June 22 '1926 E. HATHAWAY SCALE REMOVER Filed May 28,

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Patented Junel 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SCALE REMOVER.

AppIication led May 28, 1925.

My invention is an improvement in scale reinorers and relates more particularly to devices of that class employed to remove the 'scale from boiler tubes or the like.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the above named character which is portable and power driven.

Another important object of my inven* tion is to provide a device of the above named character which is of such proportions as to permit removing` of the scale from boiler tubes in their natural position without the necessity of disassembling the boiler or tubes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scale removing device having an adjustable paddle or hammer tool so that sections of the various rows of tubes in a boiler may be cleaned without moving the device until it is desired to shift it to the next section.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparent as the description of an embodiment thereof progresses, reference being made herein to the accompanying drawings whic-h form a part of the specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings z Fig. 1 is an elevation of my device showing the auxiliary frame in position between the tubes of a boiler.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device showing the tool in such position that its blades lie in a plane intersecting adjacent tiers of boiler tubes;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a special tool used in cleaning tubes not in alignment.

In the drawings, I provide a supporting frame 1 on one end of which is mounted a driving motor or other source of power 2 and a supporting handle 3. The motor shaft 4 extends substantially parallel to the frame and carries a worm 5 keyed thereto, which meshes with a worm gear 6 rotatably supported in a bracket 7. The bracket is mounted on the frame 1, supports the shaft and gear 6, and is provided with a cover or dust cap 7.

The gear 6 is keyed to a crank wheel 8 which it drives. A pin 9 is secured on the Serial No. 33,356.

wheel to rotate therewith and is connected to a connecting rod 10. As the shaft 4 revolves it drives the crank wheel through the worm and vgear and imparts reciprocatory motion to a erosshead 11 which is connected to the opposite end of the connecting rod l0 and slides along a slide 12 carried by the frame 1.

A second cross-head 13 is slidable along the slide. 12 and is connected to the crosshead 11 by means of a rod 14 which is rigidly secured to the crosswhead 13 and which is loosely supported within an opening in an arm 15 of the cross-head 11. Coil springs 16 and 17 are carried by the rod, the spring 16 being supported thereon between a nut or stop 18 and one face of the arm 15, and the spring 17 being supported thereon between the cross-head 13 and the other face of the arm 15. It is the purpose of these springs to provide a resilient connection between the power source and the tool and to more evenly distribute the power which operates the tool. rlhe tool7 in use, is subjected to rather uneven and intermittent stresses over considerable periods of time, which would ordinarily result in a very short lived apparatus. This shock absorbing resilient connection also prevents the possibility of jamming the apparatus should the tool become caught or held between the tubes of the boiler.

By providing the resilient connection between the power means and the tool, I have overcome for t-he most part, excessive wear on my machine, and have prolonged its useful life.

The forward end of cross-head 13 is connected through a swivel or universal joint 19 and link 2O to a crank 21, and when the cross-heads 11 and 13 are reciprocated7 the crank 21 will be oscillated.

The crank 21 is formed or secured to a crank rod 22 preferably rectangular in cross-section. This rod is mounted to oscillate on its vertical axis within a frame 23 and is supported therein by bearings 24 and 25.

A hammer-like tool preferably of the general form shown in Fig. 2 is slidably mounted on the rod and consists of two sections 26 riveted together forming oppositely extending arms or blades 27, and having work engaging or cleaning edges 28. In F ig. 5 I have shown a special tool used for cleaning tubes which have become bent or ffii are sagged7 the tool body being torined of sections Si, as shown, superimposed on each other. Each of the sections is provided with a substantially central opening to per mit the respective sections to be assembled on the crank rod 22. End sections ll are provided above and below the superimposed tool sections S as shown in Figure 5 and are riveted or otherwise secured as at to frame nien bers F which extend within the end members and tool sections and parallel with the walls of the ranli rod Each of the tool frame nmiebers F is provided at eac-h end with an opening O to which the cable hook il may be attached. .its assembled and as shown in Fig. 5 this tool is a unit slidable along the crank rod 22 and is adjusted to the desired position along this rod by means similar to that described above for adjusting the tool Referring more particularly to Figs and 3, it will be seen that the vertical frame 28 is provided with rigid supporting` arms 29 forming a yoke which are pivotally si spended by suitable means from arms 30 formed on. the main hor'zontal freine l. so that the frame 23 may be swung forwardly about its pivots to a substantially horizontal plane as when it is desired to move the entire apparatus from one` tier of tubes to the next adjacent tier. To those skilled in the art it will be understood that the space within a horizontal tube boiler is very limited and that some means must be provided so that the apparatus may be shifted from tier to tier within the boiler shell. l have provided the abore described means consisting in a vertically swinging auxiliary frame 23 which permits of quick and simple shifting of the apparatus within the boiler shell. A lockingl device for holding the frame 23 locked in its verti al position while the. tool is in operation consists of a cam 3l operating in a notch 3l in the frame. `illhen the cani turned 'tree of Vhe notch the frame may be tilted.

l have provided means for adjusting the tool QG along the rod Q.. .lo that it may be adjusted to clean the tubes within the boiler to any desired depth. The frame 23 is of suil'icient length that the tool may extend down far enough into the boiler to clean the lowern'iost tubes therein.

The tool adjusting means consists of a driving pulley 3:2 and cables 33 and 34A. One end of cable is secured to a. hook or the like in the tool and passes over a pulley 3G, around driving` pulley 32, thence over pulleyv 37 and thence to one end of al turnbuclde 38 where its other end is fastened. The cable 3lextends from the other end of the turnbuclde 38 under pulleys 39 and e0 and its other end is secured to a hook or the like il in the tool.

The driving pulley is supported on t-he axis on which the auxiliary frame pivots as shown in Fig. .il sleeve l2 forms the axis on which one. of the arms 29 pivotsv while a pin 43 forms the ain on which the other arm Q9 pivots. A supporting bracket B may be riveted to the arm 2Q to form an outer bearing for the sleeve lt is desired to use a sleeve as described so tnat a bearing may be provided to rotatably support the shaft 43 carrying the driving pulley 3; at one end thereof.

Fig. il shows how this is accomplished and how the pulley cranl; handle fiel entends through the sleeve.

ln operation, when it is desired to use the device for cleaning' horizontal boiler tubes, the tool is turned by hand until its arms 27 extend in a. plane parallel to the length of the tubes to be cleaned. The ver tical frame carrying the tool in this position is inserted downwardly between the desired rows of tubes until the main frame rests upon the ui'iperinost tubes. The tool is adjusted for vcftical position on the rod Q2 by turning cram; lll until the tool is in position to clean a section of the uppermost tubes. lfflhen in position7 power is applied by starting the motor or other power device which will cause the tool to oscillate. fis the tool oscillates its tube engaging edges Qi' come in Contact` with the sealy surfaces of the pipes nd due to the beating or striking action there@` inst will loosen the scale and cause it to drop between. the tubes to the bottom of the boiler. The tool is so shaped that its tube engaging edges will Contact with four ailiacent tubes at one time, thus materially reducing the time in which the tubes may be cleaned and also conservi-iu;I power and reducing the cost of cleaning. is eac-h section is finished, the operator may rotate the motor shaft e by hand so that the tool is turned until it points in a direction parallel with the length of the tubes, then the crank L'l-/lmay be turned so that the tool is lowered to the next set of tubes to be cleaned. This operation is repeated until an entire vertical section of tubes has been cleaned.

a section is cleaned the device may be moved alongl to clean adjacent sections. linen it desired to move the apparatus to tlie next adjacent set of tule), the tool is again 'placed so that it points in a direction parallel to the length of the tubes, and the auxiliary freine 23 is swung forwardly upwardly to a substantially horizontal plane where it is 'free of the tubes. The entire apparatus may then be shifted to the nent set of tubes and the frame 23 lowered again and all the operations again repeated. This may be done until all the tubes in the boiler have been cleaned. lt will be noted that l have so arranged my apparatus that when the tool points in a direction parallel with the length of the tubes, the horizontal pivot ieu of the universal joint will be in alignment with the pivots about which the frame 23 swings.

It will be noted, that the tool is so shaped that it cleans substantially onequarter of the circumferences of the tubes with which it comes into contact and that the next successive positioning of the tool on a lower level will complete the cleaning of one-half the circumference of the tubes. When 'the device has been shifted to the next adjacent horizontal row of tubes and the successive downward adjustments and cleaning operations have been completed, it will be found that the entire surface of the tubes has been cleaned.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the sub.- joined claims.

l claiml. A boiler tube cleaner or the like consisting of a main frame, power means carried thereby, an auxi iary frame pivoted to and depending from the main frame, a 'tool carried by the auxiliary frame and adjustable thereon, and a power equalizing device carried on thc main frame intermediate the power device and the tool.

2. A boiler` tube or the like consisting` of a main frame, power means carried thereby, an auxiliary frame pivoted to and depending from the main frame, a tool carried by the auxiliary frame and adjustable thereon, and a power equalizing device carried on the main frame intermediate the power device and the tool, and means to shift said tool lengthwise of said auxiliary frame for contact with a plurality of surfaces to be cleaned while the main frame is in a single position.

A boileiI tube scraper or the like consisting of a main frame, power means carried thereby, an auxiliary frame pivoted to and depending from the main frame, a tool carried by the auxiliary frame and adjustable thereon, and a power equalizing device carried on the main frame intermediate the power device and the tool, and means to shift said tool lengthwise of said auxiliary frame for contact with a plurality of surfaces to be cleaned while the main frame is in a single position, said last named means consisting of pulleys carried by the auxiliary frame, a windlass, and a cable movable over the windlass and pulleys and having both ends thereof secured to the tool for moving the same.

t. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted thereto, a tool carried by the auxiliary frame, and means carried by the main frame for oscillating the tool about a substantially vertical axis including a power device, a guide mounted on the frame, a cross head slidably mounted on the guide and connected to the power device, a second cross-head, a shock absorbing device connecting said cross-heads, and a crank operated by said last named cross-head, said crank being operatively connected to the tool for oscillating the same.

5. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted thereto, a tool carried by the auxiliary frame, and means carried by the main frame for oscillating the tool about a substantially vertical axis including a power device, a guide mounted on the frame, a cross-head slidably mounted on the guide and connected to the power device, a second cross-head, a shock absorbing device connecting said cross-heads, and a crank operated by said last named cross-head, said crank being operatively connected to the tool for oscillating the same, and means for adjusting the tool vertically along the auxiliary frame for engaging a plurality of tubes or the like without readjustment of the main frame.

6. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted thereto, a tool carried by the auxiliary frame, and means carried by the main frame for oscillating the tool about a substantially vertical axis including a power device, a guide mounted on the frame, a cross-head slidably mounted on the guide and connected to the power device, a second cross-head, a shock absorbing device connecting said cross-heads, and a crank operated by said last named cross-head, said crank being operatively connected to the tool for oscillating the same, and means for adjusting the tool vertically along the auxiliary frame and independently of the power means, for engaging a plurality of tubes or the like without readjustment of the main frame.

In testimony whereof l hereunto aiiix my signature this 22nd day of May, 1925.

ERVING HATHAWAY. 

